In about a month, the MotoE World Cup will start its third season with the first official test session at the Andalusian track of Jerez de la Frontera. For the occasion, we spoke with Gino Borsoi, technical manager for the Aspar team, to know how the experience gained last year will help the team to reach the top positions this year; here is what he told us.
Championship
The calendar of the MotoE World Cup 2021
“In 2020 we had a season with a very compact calendar with fewer circuits and more close races, as was also in MotoGP; compared to the other classes, MotoE had a bit more breathing between rounds. Considering the overall situation, we can't complain, and we have to thank the organization for finding a way to keep MotoE on the MotoGP calendar. Regarding the Aspar team's results for the 2020 season, I have to say that we honestly expected something better".
“About Maria, in some races, she had given positive signs, but in the end, the results were not so excellent. In 2019 there had been races where she had gone really well and strong, while in the second year, I expected better results, mostly where she had gone strong the year before, but this was not the case. I consider that the changes made to the category, particularly the front tyre and the fork, have not helped Maria's riding style. If for the fork we got something better, regarding the front tyre, Maria complained a lot that she couldn't do with the bike what she was able to do in 2019. The category remained basically the same with the addition of a few riders, which raised the level of competition quite a bit and made it harder to get good results”.
“Talking about Alejandro, as far as circuits are concerned, with Jerez where he had already ridden, he went very strong for being in his first year. The debut in a new category like MotoE is not easy because you have to learn the circuits, understand the bike and all in a short time because of the few laps during the sessions due to the battery autonomy. If we consider that the valid laps are about ten in a practice session and that the last two are not even at full power because the battery drains, there are eight laps left to learn a circuit, and it is not an easy job. Once I understood the category, I honestly expected more from Alejandro towards the end of the season, but maybe his weight and height also negatively influenced the results”.
Numbers and Data
A look into the telemetry of the Aspar team
Borsoi also explained how the team's work is set up during a race weekend: “With MotoE, you can't make many changes on the bike; you can raise or lower the rear, you can work with the suspension springs and the electronic maps and a little bit with the tyre pressure. We focus mainly on the first few laps during free practice when the tyre is new, and the battery is at full charge. The main thing is to get the EPole right, which for MotoE is the critical moment of the race weekend. As the seasons go by, the riders will learn to measure themselves against this formula and get to know the circuits, but right now, it's really a session we need to work well on".
As for the Aspar team's riders for the new season, the names for 2021 are expected to be made official in the next few days.
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